2025 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD - The Joy of Decluttering

Dizzycap

@ Muddy_Walker - lovely to see you around and about on MSE It's a great positive when good active mental health plans are discussed, organised, and put into action. Take each day as kit comes and achieve what you can when you can xx Amazing how different dog breeds have their quirks Daxies love digging and getting muddy but are absolute sticklers for hating rain and wind but adore snow? They have exceedingly high demands of cleanliness. Where there's a daxie, there's a complete beauty salon! Babywipes, eye drops, ear drops, paw, nail & nose creams, cutton wool, shampoo, sun screen spray for their nose, ears and bellies. I tell you, it's easier bringing up a child A dear friend of mine spent her life wanting a Daxie but decided to have 4 children in preparation to get one. She says, the experience of having children has stood her in great stead to cope with living with a daxie - says it all

As for decluttering this morning, I've done absolutely nothing yet as I've been taking pictures of items I wanted to list and have managed to list 8, so am more than happy with that for the first attempt of the day I'm now going to put the kettle on for a lovely cup of coffee and will probably empty the HH bins and spray kitchen surfaces while I wait for it to boil. I'm planning to have a PJ day today as I'm feeling shattered even after a nice sleep Postie will be decluttering a parcel at some point in the day but I usually end up having a few add ons by the time he arrives. Hoping I can declutter a few more items out of the house today. I'm making great progress with the mega monster wardrobe of doom but don't want to burn myself out. I've put out another 6 items to take pictures of later before I hopefully, get them listed and off to clutter up new homes

Babyface has just thundered down the hallway and is demanding to go outside

Wishing everyone a super decluttering day and I hope everyone shifts bucket loads

GrannyKate

@Dizzycap - really useful info thanks.  I am in the same position with borderline diabetes showing on blood tests.  I have managed to stop eating cakes and sweets which I love.  I had second set of blood tests on Monday.  I don't drink carbonated drinks at all, rarely have alcohol, don't smoke and eat brown bread.  Not fond of all-bran but I do have some in for DD so I could try it.  I need to eat less bread, the right fruits, more fish.  

Plastering work should be decluttered today - for the first room anyway.  Out for lunch with U3A - can't remember what I ordered but you have to allow yourself the occasional treat.  Children have been here extra and because one bedroom is out of use I have been sleeping on sofa bed.  Slight altercation with Sir Sox last night as I had to move him to a chair.  His scabs seem to be healing up following jab and cleaning them up so he should be ok to start vaccinations next week. 

I spent over half an hour trying to log in to a bank account which contains 6p.  First I had to ask for the username, then change the password, then change the memorable question and for each part of the process they texted me an OTP at the end of which they told me I couldn't access that account on line!  I was intending to see what accounts they have on offer and use it to set aside some money for a potential US trip next year.  They also have the wrong address.  I had a bundle of redirected mail last week including letter from this bank and some giftaid letters from charities.  I've sorted the latter but guess I will need to find a bank branch to go in or try their live chat.  May research their bank accounts first.  

305 Blood decluttered at the third attempt
306 Early March birthday cards posted - I need to buy a couple more for late March
307-308 Two frogs dealt with 

Assisting with box assembly and testing the new chair

diminua

Just quickly reporting that I've met my target, which was -7 things (as I wanted to match my Christmas presents). - 19 in and 26 out. Not including food and drink, flowers, ebooks or basic toiletries and cleaning stuff. 
TBH 19 still seems a lot. Only four things were secondhand (two tops and two kitchen jars). Two were replacements for broken electrical items (wall clock and heater), five were art materials (because I forgot them and had to buy new). 3 were new clothes. One large item (a desk. I already have a desk but this one is for art stuff. The other is for the computer). 
Out - mostly used up paints and socks. A broken mug. Books I've read and won't read again. I still have large items to take to the refuse and recycling. Maybe some of that will happen this weekend if it's fine.

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, the funeral yesterday went well. It was a lovely service and the wake afterwards was at the cricket club. I took ln and although it was cold with a brisk wind the sun was shining which I always think makes a difference. Ln is now the oldest resident in our road at 85 and I think she will probably outlast many of the younger people here 😁.

OH had 2 parcels delivered yesterday and I took action as soon as they had been opened. 1 pair of shoes into the bin as I couldn't glue them again and 3 cardboard boxes into the recycling. Earlier when I had dressed for the funeral I put on a pair of shoes I hadn't worn for a while, by the time I got to the bottom of the stairs I realised I wouldn't be able to wear them for the whole day, far too uncomfortable, so I took them off and put them in the cs bag and found a more comfortable pair 😁. I have decided to try this with other shoes I have lurking in the wardrobe that I haven't worn for a while, some might just need to be broken in again but I think others will no longer be wearable for me but will be ok for the cs 😁.

I also finished up another bottle of shampoo and managed another session of ironing 😁.
The back is still tricky but it's getting better 😁.

@Yoshimi2025 can I ask why you have rehomed your green wheelie bin and recycling boxes? Did you have excess ? Well done on the coat 😁.

@Vulpix I find it harder to get an appointment with the practice nurse than the doctor. They can be very helpful and knowledgeable but it can be frustrating as they can't do some things, hugs. I have spare  tins for just that sort of thing, when OH bakes someone a cake I am happy to let it go as I have cured OH of the habit of storing the big plastic tins that used to be used 😁.

@Florenceem can I ask why you think you might be diabetic? Have you had previous blood tests that indicate this or is it just a general fear? You do a lot to keep yourself healthy.

@Muddy_Walker so glad your councillor was helpful, it can be a bit hit and miss 😁. I also love the Harry Potter books 😁 and I do re-read some books but I have most of them on my kindle now in an attempt to reduce the amount of books in the house 😁.

@Dizzycap can I ask where you sourced your information about what to eat etc ? I have been type 2 diabetic for about 15 years now, my meds have not been changed for at least 10 years as I seem to be stable despite being told I would be insulin dependant by now. I find it quite interesting the different advice people are given by the medical people. I was told I have to have carbohydrates with every meal. I am mostly vegetarian though I do eat some fish but I do have some sweet treats and I do eat fruit of all kinda as otherwise I would be bored to death of vegetables 😁. Interestingly I recently listened to a radio 4 programme that told me there is a proven link between gum disease and diabetes and that 70% of adults have gum disease with no symptoms. Also many doctors have no training in things to do with the mouth etc as this is considered the province of dentists. Considering the scarcity of available dentists in some areas it is quite worrying. The advances in medical research can be amazing though.

@GrannyKate what a palarva with the bank account 😐. Lovely pictures 😁

Right time to do something apart from listening to the radio 😂. I am at the football tonight so need to make sure I do something before them 😂
Hugs to everyone who would like one

250 ironing
251 shoes binned
252 - 254 cardboard boxes
255 shampoo uu
Take care everyone
255/2025

vulpix

Hahaha Mrs SD, waterfalls do seem to be following me about. Thank you for your kind words. xx

Florenceem, I am sure you have got the curtains right now. As much as I love velvet I find it creeps, making it difficult to work with. I said several pairs of curtains ago that I am never making curtains again. I hope I can stick to it from now on. Hopefully you will be ok about the diabetes with a few diet tweaks.

Muddy I am pleased to hear you have a counsellor you can get on board with. Pets are such a comfort, worth their weight in gold.
 I had a springer border collie cross, she was all her life impossible to tire out and completely bonkers.She was a lovely loyal dog. I loved to see her springing in the long grass on walks.

Happy kitties, yes you will do it. I have every faith in you, you always consistently work away at your decluttering and it's consistency that yields results. I would put a wink emoji here if I had one!

Dizzycup, from reading your posts I think your blood tests would yield pure coffee. Hats off to you, I find I am going off coffee more as I get older.

Hahaha, Sox looks so disapproving. What a handsome boy he is.

Well, did you see the planets aligned last night? It is dark where I live so we did see them. Apparently not to be repeated again in our lifetime.

Look what Mr V found in the garden next to the green bin! One of us who isn't me must have taken it out to empty past it flowers and put the vase down on the wall. It must have been there a while as it was full with rain water, So glad I didn't sit on the floor and empty out the awkward corner cupboard in the kitchen.

It's my cleaners day today so I need to have a little tidy up before we go out. She tells me that ours is the most tidy house she does. What an accolade. Lets hope the box of wool doesn't avalanche when she opens the under stairs cupboard to get the hoover out!

Vx

Dizzycap

@ GrannyKate - You're very welcome

I see your gorgeous cat is centre stage again  Isn't he doing well? He's so handsome What a difference and you've done wonders with him I do love to see animals happy and content xxxx

Not much decluttering happening today, even though it's chucking it down. I did manage to empty all the HH bins before the downpour started and then decided to pull the fridge freezer out to see what nasties were lurking behind, but it wasn't too bad at all just a floor wash which I really didn't need to do, but hey it's out, so why not!

I've fully decluttered the washing basket and managed to do a couple of wash loads before putting everything on the airers

I haven't got the energy to do much else today. At least I had a shower yesterday and babyface had 3 great walks, so she's not bothered today and is totally disgusted by the rain, which is always all my fault  so we snuggled up in  bed for most of the morning and watched some comedy finally getting up about an hour ago to yet more buckets of rain

Postie knocked on the door at 9am to see if everything was ok and to give me the mail. Just as well I asked him if he wanted to collect my parcel on the way back because the collection wasn't registered in his PA system I do sometimes wonder about the brilliance of modern technology! Talking of technology one of our telecom satellites has been moved around 100 meters in my direction due to poor quality signals - It's even worse now

Dizzycap

Liverpool_Anne said:

Hi all, the funeral yesterday went well. It was a lovely service and the wake afterwards was at the cricket club. I took ln and although it was cold with a brisk wind the sun was shining which I always think makes a difference. Ln is now the oldest resident in our road at 85 and I think she will probably outlast many of the younger people here 😁.

OH had 2 parcels delivered yesterday and I took action as soon as they had been opened. 1 pair of shoes into the bin as I couldn't glue them again and 3 cardboard boxes into the recycling. Earlier when I had dressed for the funeral I put on a pair of shoes I hadn't worn for a while, by the time I got to the bottom of the stairs I realised I wouldn't be able to wear them for the whole day, far too uncomfortable, so I took them off and put them in the cs bag and found a more comfortable pair 😁. I have decided to try this with other shoes I have lurking in the wardrobe that I haven't worn for a while, some might just need to be broken in again but I think others will no longer be wearable for me but will be ok for the cs 😁.

I also finished up another bottle of shampoo and managed another session of ironing 😁.
The back is still tricky but it's getting better 😁.

@Yoshimi2025 can I ask why you have rehomed your green wheelie bin and recycling boxes? Did you have excess ? Well done on the coat 😁.

@Vulpix I find it harder to get an appointment with the practice nurse than the doctor. They can be very helpful and knowledgeable but it can be frustrating as they can't do some things, hugs. I have spare  tins for just that sort of thing, when OH bakes someone a cake I am happy to let it go as I have cured OH of the habit of storing the big plastic tins that used to be used 😁.

@Florenceem can I ask why you think you might be diabetic? Have you had previous blood tests that indicate this or is it just a general fear? You do a lot to keep yourself healthy.

@Muddy_Walker so glad your councillor was helpful, it can be a bit hit and miss 😁. I also love the Harry Potter books 😁 and I do re-read some books but I have most of them on my kindle now in an attempt to reduce the amount of books in the house 😁.

@Dizzycap can I ask where you sourced your information about what to eat etc ? I have been type 2 diabetic for about 15 years now, my meds have not been changed for at least 10 years as I seem to be stable despite being told I would be insulin dependant by now. I find it quite interesting the different advice people are given by the medical people. I was told I have to have carbohydrates with every meal. I am mostly vegetarian though I do eat some fish but I do have some sweet treats and I do eat fruit of all kinda as otherwise I would be bored to death of vegetables 😁. Interestingly I recently listened to a radio 4 programme that told me there is a proven link between gum disease and diabetes and that 70% of adults have gum disease with no symptoms. Also many doctors have no training in things to do with the mouth etc as this is considered the province of dentists. Considering the scarcity of available dentists in some areas it is quite worrying. The advances in medical research can be amazing though.

@GrannyKate what a palarva with the bank account 😐. Lovely pictures 😁

Right time to do something apart from listening to the radio 😂. I am at the football tonight so need to make sure I do something before them 😂
Hugs to everyone who would like one

250 ironing
251 shoes binned
252 - 254 cardboard boxes
255 shampoo uu
Take care everyone
255/2025

@ Liverpool_Anne  - I'm a long term diabetic who works with a hospital diabetic specialist team. I managed to control my diabetes for years with a change of diet. Unfotunately, 2 years ago my pancreas began having issues with absorbing vitamins and minerals which then led to me not being able to control sugar without medication. I became allergic to Metformin after 4 days and was fortunate to have a quick thinking specialist who knew exactly what tablet I needed to take and the issue was resolved immediately to the point I now always register as being pre-diabetic in all 3-6 month HbA1c blood tests I've kept the same diet but I have wiggle room should I fancy some extra bread or potato once a week, which I will be having today

Yoshimi2025

@dizzycap I decided to get rid of my green wheelie bin as our council now charge £50 to collect it, I bought one compost bin and found another that had been fly tipped and just use those now, also I’ve got a recycling wheelie bin, I don’t use much plastic so it gets emptied about every 12 weeks so didn’t need the extra 3 bins, someone might as well have the use of them on their recycling journey. I tend to buy things in glass if I can or cans, I’ve been convinced that plastic doesn’t actually get recycled so just don’t buy it. 

Yoshimi2025

Listed so much stuff on eBay and Freecycle today, resisting counting it as gone until it leaves the house.

also a top tip for Boots Recycling programme users, individual tooth flosser count as one item! You only need 5 to get 500 points! Such a bonus, my son recently moved back home and he’s using up his packet of them, who knew! 

Brie

For the diabetics (or nearly diabetics or dieters) I was told to pick veg by colour as the redder it is the more carbohydrates it contains.  So a red onion had more than a white one.  Red peppers are worse than orange that are worse than yellow which are worse than green.   All of which explains why I go for carrot sticks and red pepper chunks with the plates of crudite rather than the green peppers and celery.  

And I'll repeat a breakfast that I've mentioned elsewhere....my oldest brother who is 73 and slim and superfit used to love his muesli with fruit and yoghurt for breakfast.  And then he realised how much sugar etc is in the muesli even when it's "no added sugar".  And it normally includes raisins too.  So he decided the solution was to have something that would go with the yoghurt and fruit but was very low in carbs.  His solution is shredded cabbage.  I know this sounds absolutely bonkers and it's not something I have but I've tried it and it's actually quite nice.   Can't have it in our house as OH hates the idea of veg at breakfast (in part due to having travelled in China I think).  Wondering how OH will cope when we go to Canada in a couple of months and will be sharing the family farm house for a couple of weeks with my brother!!!  Likely we'll be out for pancakes most mornings......